


Joyeux Noelle

by kittinoir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Mistletoe, OFC - Freeform, cheesy ending but they DESERVE IT, i stole this concept from batman, it's actually a sin Plagg isn't in it, so cheesy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittinoir/pseuds/kittinoir
Summary: “Mistletoe,” he heard Ladybug murmur. He turned to see her gazing up at the same thing he had noticed, wistfulness clouding those blue eyes.“You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it,” Chat Noir said, stepping closer. He took one of her hands in his own, wishing more than anything the miraculous wasn’t between them right now, that he really could feel the warmth of her hand in his own. A little Christmas miracle.“A kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.” Ladybug’s eyes flashed a warning, but she didn’t pull away or take off like she normally did.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 12
Kudos: 197





	Joyeux Noelle

“Bye bye, little butterfly.”

Chat Noir tilted his head back, watching the purified akuma flit away from the Eiffel tower into the snowy night. As he did, he caught sight of a glittering bush speckled with red berries hanging overhead. Fairy lights had been strung through it and they twinkled warmly against the velvet sky.

“Mistletoe,” he heard Ladybug murmur. He turned to see her gazing up at the same thing he had noticed, wistfulness clouding those blue eyes.

“You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it,” Chat Noir said, stepping closer. He took one of her hands in his own, wishing more than anything the miraculous wasn’t between them right now, that he really could feel the warmth of her hand in his own. A little christmas miracle.

“A kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.” Ladybug’s eyes flashed a warning, but she didn’t pull away or take off like she normally did. Hope flashed through him, stronger and more dangerous than he realized. Something in her eyes softened, and he froze as she leaned in. Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around her waist, enjoying the warmth of her body even in this freezing cold. Electricity seemed to sizzle across his skin as she pressed her lips against his cheek. Joy and disappointment crashed through him in equal parts.

She pulled back again as her earrings began to blink their final warning, and reluctantly he let her go. That age-old request was once again on the tip of his tongue, to beg her to stay, to break down this last wall between them, but for once, he stayed quiet. Maybe it was how sad she looked. Maybe it was because of the holidays. Maybe it was because he’d already received so much more than he could have hoped for tonight. 

“Merry Christmas, m’lady,” he said instead, banishing the disappointment. She was more generous with him than he had any right to expect anyway. 

“Merry Christmas, kitty,” she said. And then she was gone, swinging away into the night. Adrien watched her leave for a moment, wavering as he usually did, trying to imagine where she was going, picking out clues to who she was. He knew he shouldn’t, but he’d been doing it for so long now it was practically habit. Not that it mattered too much. There never seemed to be much of a pattern to where she went. 

And tonight, not much of a point. Tonight, he had somewhere else to be.

* * * * *

Marinette dropped into her bedroom, breathless. She was short on time - again. And it was all the cats’ fault. 

“Tikki, spots off.”

Marinette was already pulling out her stash of macaroons from where she hid them in her room as her kwami reappeared, dazed. She always felt a little like she was over-using Tikki, but her kwami had always assured her it was part of the process. So Marinette made sure she was always stocked up with Tikki’s favourites, determined to make it as easy as possible.

“I wish getting ready for the dance could be as easy as becoming Ladybug,” Marinette joked as she dropped down from the loft to her room.

“If there was no challenge it wouldn’t be any fun,” Tikki teased around a bite of macaroon. “Besides, there’s something satisfying in seeing your own hard work pay off.”

“Tell me about it,” Marinette agreed as she eyed her mannequin in the corner. She’d been waiting for this night for months. The school held a winter wonderland formal every year right before holiday break, and every year, Marinette had designed a new dress to wear. This year had been a close call; between her duties as class representative and Ladybug, she’d been left with little time to design and even less time to create. The fact was she’d spent most nights the past week finishing up her dress instead of sleeping, a fact that was becoming increasingly obvious as she made more and more mistakes. Thankfully none of them had revealed anything too…cataclysmic. 

But it was all worth it, because it meant that tonight she got to wear her finest creation yet. Featuring a full skirt created out of what felt like miles or glittering black tulle, it was almost too formal for the dance. The bodice was corseted with a sweetheart neckline, and a light pink sash at her waist broke up the otherwise dark gown. She’d decided to forgo a bow in the back; the disney vibes in her initial sketches had been just too strong. She’d thought about a colour palette more suited to the season, but these were her colours, and there had always been something enchanting about the contrast between black and pink.

“Better hurry, Marinette,” Tikki urged, derailing her train of thought. “Not much time left before the dance starts.”

Marinette didn’t bother checking the time before hurrying to her mirror to start on her make up. Not only was Tikki right, Marinette was usually late. Might as well get to it. “Let me know if my phone chimes!”

And in the end, she ended up being right on time. She’d decided to go simple with her look, leaving her hair down and styling it in easy curls, touching up the make up she was already wearing. She preferred to let her dress do the talking. 

She was ready within half an hour.

“Ready, Tikki?”

The kwami smiled and sailed happily into a little pocket Marinette had designed for her, hidden in the folds of the tulle. Really, more dresses should come with pockets.

Marinette’s phone chimed just as she finished descending the stairs. This was it. All those sleepless nights had been leading up to this. 

Marinette stopped to kiss her parents good bye and assure them she would be home by ten thirty before she slipped out of the bakery.

There, waiting at the curb, was Alya’s dad’s car. Nino and Alya were going to the dance together, but rather than leave her, her friend had suggested the three of them go together. Nino had tried to loop Adrien into their group, but Mr. Agreste had struck again: Adrien had a photoshoot for his dads’ new line and was expected to come straight home for a Chinese lesson directly after. 

“Hey girl,” Alya exclaimed, fingering the tulle as Marinette slid into the car. “This dress is amazing! Your best one yet!”

“Off the hook, Marinette,” Nino agreed, giving her a thumbs up. Marinette couldn’t help a smile; she doubted Nino knew much about her design, but she really appreciated the support.

“Thank you,” Marinette giggled, but she couldn’t help the slight twinge of disappointment. If it really was her best work, the most important person was going to miss it.

She looked up just in time to see Alya elbow Nino in the ribs, knocking the air out of him with a _whoosh._ Marinette quirked an eyebrow, her Ladybug senses tingling.

“We have a surprise for you,” Alya admitted, her eyes darting between her and Nino. “But it’s a _surprise_ , so you’ll have to wait til we get to the dance.” 

Marinette’s palms instantly felt clammy. “Surprise? You know I don’t handle surprises well. What if I trip and fall? What if I trip and fall onto the buffet table? What if I trip and rip down the decorations?”

“Not even you’re that clumsy, Marinette,” Nino interjected. “You’ll like it, trust me.”

“He’s right,” Alya said as they pulled up to the hall. “Trust me.”

“Of course I am,” Nino said, stepping out of the car. “I’m always right.”

“I think always is a bit of a stretch,” Alya said as Nino helped her out of the car. “Remember when you thought Sabrina could be Ladybug?”

Marinette tripped over the hem of her dress as she stepped out of the car at the mention of her alter-ego. She may be getting her stammering under control around Adrien, but her secret coming up in conversation never failed to turn her into a gibbering puddle of pathetic excuses. Marinette felt a hand go under her arm, steadying her just as her lack of balance threatened to send her careening into the pavement. 

“Careful, girl,” Alya said, helping her friend straighten up. She was beginning to look like maybe Marinette’s fears about her clumsiness hadn’t been totally unfounded. 

“Thanks,” Marinette said as the three headed toward the hall. She didn’t miss the conspiratorial grin her friend and Nino shared and she felt her stomach clench. Whatever this surprise was, she hoped it didn’t include a spotlight. Or a speech. Or - god forbid - dancing. 

“Amazing!” Alya exclaimed as the threesome stepped into the hall. Whoever had decorated had outdone themselves: soft white fairy lights were wound around the pillars in the room, giving the room a gentle low. Green boughs were draped off everything, and at the far end of the room stood a giant twinkling christmas tree. 

“It’s beautiful,” Marinette said as she looked around the room, drinking in the warmth. She just wished it didn’t remind her of where she’d been an hour ago, and who she’d been with. Part of her couldn’t help but wonder if her kitty had someone to spend tonight with. A bigger part of her she didn’t care to listen to wondered which answer she would prefer. 

“It is,” she heard Nino murmur beside her. She glanced over to see him gazing at Alya with a goofy smile. Marinette’s heart squeezed and she couldn’t help a smile at the warm moment. Setting them up had been an accident, but she was happy she’d found someone who adored her.

Come on, Marinette!” Alya squealed, breaking the moment. “It’s time for that surprise.”

Marinette giggled nervously as she and Nino followed Alya deeper into the room. Their classmates swirled around them, throwing out greetings and compliments as they passed.   
Marinette let it wash over her, her earlier disappointment fading, enjoying the company of her friends, even paying Chloe a compliment on her dress until the crowd in front of them parted and suddenly she was standing in front of -

“Adrien?”

Marinette was so shocked her mind simply went blank at the sight of him not four feet away from her. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t coming tonight.

“Marinette?” The sound of her name dispelled a bit of her surprise. That was definitely his voice. 

“I thought…you had a shootphoto? I mean a picture shoot? I mean - ” So much for having her stammering under control. Maybe it was the suit; it was Gabriel’s brand, black with sharp lines that had been tailored to fit him perfectly. It was too much. She needed the messy hair and casual clothes to just look him in the eye. This was overwhelming.

“I did.” Marinette reached for that confidence she’d been beginning to feel around him as he stared at her. He was looking as stunned as she felt. “Father relented at the last minute. I, uh, think Nathalie spoke to him for me.”

“Oh, well, that was lucky,” Marinette said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I would’ve really missed you. I mean ‘we’! ‘We _all_ would have missed you. Because the formal is always, aha, so much fun…”

“I would have hated to miss it,” Adrien said, but something about the way he said it made Marinette think that maybe he wasn’t really talking about the dance. “Dance with me?”

She’d been so shocked by his sudden appearance she hadn’t realized Alya had had her directly to the edge of the dance floor. A slow song had started and their classmates had all taken to the floor, spinning as gently as the snowflakes outside.

“Uh, Adrien - ”

“I remember,” Adrien said, holding out his hand to her. “I promise to keep you steady.”

She should say no. Between the heels and not being able to even see her feet beyond her skirt, it was bound to be a disaster. She knew she could and Adrien wouldn’t be hurt or take the rejection personally. And yet - 

She trusted him to lead her through it. And more than that, she was tired of saying no, of missing out on opportunities to be with him when she had to be Ladybug, of choking on her little crush, of watching him slip through her fingers time and time again.

“Ok,” she said, placing her hand in his own. She let him lead her to the dance floor and take the lead, his arms warm around her waist. She hoped he couldn’t feel her heart pounding, close as they were.

“You look really beautiful tonight, Marinette,” Adrien said as they slowly spun. “Not that you don’t always look beautiful, you do, I just mean - wow.” Marinette glanced up, surprised. Was he _stammering_? 

“Thank you, Adrien,” Marinette said, “I…” She trailed off as she caught the glittering mistletoe directly over their heads. Noticing her gaze, Adrien looked up and saw the decoration as well. Marinette felt him stiffen in surprise before he looked back down at her. Oh god, now he was going to think she was some crazy stalked who’d lured him out here to steal a kiss! She had to diffuse the situation, now.

“You know,” Marinette said, reaching for the first thing that came to mind, “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.”

“A kiss can be even deadlier if you…mean it.” Adrien’s smile dropped as he looked down at her, the colour draining from his face.

Marinette froze. It was like being struck by lightning. Adrien. _Adrien._ Was. Chat Noir? Before she could even begin processing it, hundreds of images burst through her memory, every little coincidence she had somehow missed. His feather allergy. How he was always late, like her. How she never saw both of them at the same time, not really. 

“…m’lady?”

Adrien’s voice broke the spell. She looked up, searching his face - those eyes! - suddenly afraid of the disappointment she was sure she’d find there. That his lady, his miraculous Ladybug, was just Marinette. 

But…it was just the opposite. Marinette felt ever fibre of her being tingle in response to the way he was looking at her then. Like she put the stars in the sky every night and called for the sun every morning. Like every dream he’d ever had was coming true. Slowly, she nodded.

He abruptly pulled her back to him and continued their slow dance as though nothing had happened. To anyone watching, it may have appeared to be a small blip in their conversation instead of the life-altering revelation it had been.

“Marinette.” The way Adrien breathed her name made her shiver.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” she whispered. A thousand memories were crashing through her, lighting up as they fell into place.

She felt Adrien hesitate as they completed another rotation. “Are you disappointed?”

Marinette jerked back, and they stopped again as she peered up into his face. Worry and doubt coalesced there, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Disappointed?” Marinette shook her head in stunned disbelief. “How could I possibly be disappointed? Adrien, you’re…you’re everything to me. You’re my best friend, and the person I trust the most. You make being Ladybug so much easier than it is. Adrien, I love you.”

Marinette didn’t think he could be more surprised if Hawkmoth himself dropped in on them right then. “The other boy you like…is me? You love me?”

Marinette blushed but nodded, lacing her fingers through his. Those words she’d tried to say a dozen times and couldn’t seemed to come so easily to her now. Despite the secret she’d tried so hard to keep being from revealed, everything felt like it was finally falling into place. The warning bells she normally heard pealing had finally quieted.

Adrien reached up to cup her face face, so gently, as though he was afraid she might disappear if he moved too fast. He started to lean toward her, but as much as she didn’t want to, Marinette placed a hand on his chest to stop him. He stopped, his face open and wondering. 

“You’ve been…clear about how you feel about Ladybug, but I’m - I’m just Marinette, and…I need to know how you feel about me before anything else happens. Because I don’t know if…” Marinette trailed off, the words getting stuck in her throat. To her eternal embarrassment, she felt tears stinging her eyes. She had wanted this for so long she was terrified to have it slip through her fingers again.

“ _Just_ Marinette?” Adrien shook his head, running a thumb along her cheekbone. “You’ve never been _just_ Marinette to me. You’ve always been amazing as Ladybug, brave and smart, but knowing that it’s you… it just makes me love you more.”

Marinette couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out of her. “I..I love you, Adrien.”

He smiled down at her, wiping away the lone tear that slid down her cheek. “I love you, too, Marinette.” 

This time she didn’t stop him as he kissed her.

She’d been expecting an explosion; wasn’t that how it was always described? _Fireworks…_

It wasn’t. It was…stillness. Like the world was holding its breath, afraid to disrupt the moment. Like they were the only two people in the room, like they’d never come up for air. It was as though everything else had ceased to exist, except for her, and Adrien, and the beating of his heart beneath her palm. Time itself had stopped.

Finally, Adrien, pulled back, but only far enough to rest his forehead against hers, his breathing as ragged as she imagined her own was. 

“That was…” He seemed at a loss for words as he trailed off, gazing into her eyes. For once, Marinette didn’t have that problem, and readily finished his sentence, the one word she could think to sum it all up.

“Miraculous."


End file.
